Press Release - April 15, 2008 Educational Launch Competition Planned For Spaceport
Upham, NM The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) today announced intentions to create a new venture between the NMSA, the Air Force, higher education, and the private sector to create a competitive educational launch program for students in public schools and universities. The program is envisioned to be a collaborative effort between the NMSA, the Air Force Research Lab Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base (AFRL), the X-Prize Foundation, the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium at New Mexico State University (NMSG), UP Aerospace and Microgravity Enterprises, Inc. (MEI), all of which have demonstrated support for Spaceport America, the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. NMSA Executive Director Steve Landeene looks forward to creating the launch competition for the 2008-2009 academic year. “The spaceport is all about finding new, innovative ways to access space, and inspiring today’s young minds to meet tomorrow’s challenges,” Landeene said. “It is a part of fulfilling Spaceport America’s educational mission.” With the support of the voters from Sierra County, Spaceport America can begin to explore ways to develop the competition, both nationally and statewide, for students to build and fly 100-plus scientific payloads on an upcoming UP Aerospace vertical launch out of Spaceport America, scheduled for Spring 2009. This new educational competition will showcase the commitment to education of the X-Prize Foundation, NMSG, UP Aerospace and MEI. With continuing positive community support and the addition of renewable power generation with Sierra Electric, Spaceport America holds great promise for New Mexico’s economic future as the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. For images of Spaceport America go to: www.spaceportamerica.com (For additional information, contact David Wilson @ Wilson Binkley Advertising & Marketing - 575-524-8118)

Headquarters, Albuquerque, NM

“The demand for our products has been phenomenal,” said Darryl Hupfer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, MEI. “For the past six months we managed distribution ourselves, building name recognition one store, one consumer and one website order at a time from our offices in Albuquerque, NM. Now, with the demand continuing to grow, we look forward to working with two leaders in the distribution field, Zero Infinity, LLC and Badger Enterprises, LLC.”

“Antimatter™ energy drink represents the finest in quality and most innovative process for formula creation in the world -- Urbanlifeforce.com is excited to help bring this cutting-edge brand to the marketplace. We look forward to setting the bar for the entire energy drink revolution here in the United States and beyond!” said J. Conrad Grant, Owner & Founder of Zero Infinity, LLC. Zero Infinity is the parent company of Urbanlifeforce.com and distributes in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

“These products are catching fire here in the Southwest. Sure, they’re made with ingredients flown in space but it’s the taste and performance that is attracting all of the customer loyalty. I’m excited about distributing these products,” said Sean Monteith, founder and president, Badger Enterprises, LLC. Badger Enterprises manages distribution of MEI products in New Mexico and West Texas.

The commercial availability of Antimatter™ and Space2O™ is the first step in MEI’s plans to commercialize space. The company plans to release a new series of space-flown products this year and to begin producing unique pharmaceuticals, materials and other consumer products in orbit, within the next five to ten years. MEI is a small, privately-held company founded on one principle—to commercialize space and make it a part of everyday life. MEI is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and currently uses Spaceport America, in Upham, NM, to fly the company’s products to space and back.

Press Release - August 10, 2007
Comet's Tail™ Amber Ale blasts off from brew pub
New Mexico Business Weekly - August 10, 2007 by Kevin Robinson-Avila NMBW Staff

The world's first space beer made its inaugural flight at Kelly's Brewery in Albuquerque. Microgravity Enterprises Inc., which partnered with Kelly's to make Comet's Tail Amber Ale from yeast that went to space, held a "Launch Fest" on August 4th at the brewery.

In addition to space beer, the company sold Space2O™bottled water and an energy drink called Antimatter, both of which contain ingredients that flew to suborbit on the UP Aerospace rocket that launched from the New Mexico Space Port in April. The water and energy drink have been sold on the Internet since July 4, but the Launch Fest was the first opportunity for customers to sample Microgravity's space beer. The ale proved extremely popular, even at $3.75 a pint. "We went through three kegs in about four hours," said Zach Guilmette, head brewer at Kelly's. "I've never seen a new beer sell so quickly." Most customers said the novelty of drinking space beer was simply irresistible. "It's the curiosity hook," said Joel White, as he downed a pint. "The fact that it went to space sort of guarantees that you have to at least try it."

Some patrons refused to believe the yeast actually went to suborbit. "I just don't believe it," said Steve Atkinson. "It's a hoax. I mean, how did they get yeast into space?" Even so, Atkinson drank the brew. "It's something new, and it's good beer. I'd drink it again," he said.

Microgravity is banking on that "curiosity hook" to sell its products. "We're entering a saturated market where companies with deep pockets dominate," said Darryl Hupfer, executive vice president for sales and marketing. "You have to do something to build a niche and draw attention to your product. We're hoping the novelty of having sent ingredients for the drinks to space will get people to step up and try it."

The company has already received some large orders for Space2O™ and Antimatter. A Kentucky-based liquor chain with six stores in Lexington and Louisville bought a 144-case pallet of Antimatter and two 70-case pallets of Space2O™, Hupfer said. At $36 and $24 a case, respectively, the Kentucky sale brought in $8,544.

The California Space Authority also bought a pallet of Antimatter and two pallets of Space2O™, and four John Brooks Supermarts -- one in Santa Fe and three in Albuquerque -- will start carrying the space drinks next week. The company plans an aggressive grassroots marketing campaign nationwide via the Internet and through events like the launch fest, said Microgravity spokeswoman Linda Strine. The campaign will target space-related groups and events, as well as food and beverage retail outlets. It will also focus on universities and schools, where Microgravity plans to support space-related education.

The company is reserving about 15 percent of the payload space on every rocket its ingredients fly on for educational experiments, free of charge, said Operations Officer Jeff Ganley. The University of Colorado, for example, sent an experiment that measured cosmic rays and microwave radiation on Microgravity's last flight, which flew from southern New Mexico on June 22. "Our ACCESS for Education program allows kids from K-12 and university students to connect with space," Ganley said. "Maybe it will encourage some of them to pursue careers in the space industry." Back at Kelly's, Comet's Tail Ale certainly helped drive up the energy level. "We're drinking this beer to support the new space industry in New Mexico!" whooped Joel White, as he and his mates clanked their glasses in toast. "Onward and upward to infinity and beyond!"

“CSA and MEI seek to inspire the next generation in using scientific inquiry to understand the wonders of the universe, and to pursue career opportunities associated with space enterprise” said The Honorable Andrea Seastrand, Executive Director of CSA. “We are excited to work with MEI.”

The space water is part of MEI’s ACCESS for Education program that donates payload space on every commercial launch for the purpose of conducting research and executing experiments aimed at advancing the commercialization of space. Payload space is dedicated to a full spectrum of activities ranging from K-12 inspirational experiments to next-generation commercial space demonstration payloads.

The California Space Authority is a statewide nonprofit organization that represents space enterprise interests in business, government, and education. MEI is a small, privately-held company founded on one principle: to commercialize space and make it a part of everyday life. MEI is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“This marks the first time in history that a consumer can purchase a beverage made from ingredients that have physically been to space and back,” said Darryl Hupfer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, MEI.

A case (24 cans) of Antimatter™ Energy Drink (www.antimatterdrink.com) sells for $36.00 on the internet and a case (24 bottles) of Space2O™ purified water (www.space2o.com) sells for $24.00 on the internet.

“Our goal is to put space in the consumers’ hands everyday at a price that is affordable,” added Hupfer. A key part of the MEI business model is the ACCESS for Education Program. “Free flights for education are the foundation of our ACCESS for Education Program,” said Jeff Ganley, Chief Operating Officer and Director of the MEI ACCESS for Education Program. “We plan to fly K-12 and University experiments for free every time we fly. Our goal is to get youth interested in space again and excited about what can be done there. What better way to do that than to give them free rides to space.”

Last month MEI flew the RockSat III payload for the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium.. RocketSat III was designed and built entirely by students at the University. The payload measured cosmic rays and microwave radiation along with pressure, temperature, and accelerations during the space flight.

“This is only the beginning,” Ganley added. “We plan to be launching monthly within about 12 months—that’s 12 rides a year for students.”

MEI is a small, privately-held company founded on one principle—to commercialize space and make it a part of everyday life. MEI is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and currently uses Spaceport America, in Upham, NM, to fly the company’s products to space and back.

New Mexico Business Weekly - June 29, 2007
by Kevin Robinson-Avila, NMBW Staff

   

The world's first space beer will launch from Kelly's Brewery
in Albuquerque on Aug. 4.

The beer, brewed in partnership with Microgravity Enterprises Inc., is made from yeast that Microgravity sent to space on the UP Aerospace rocket that launched from southern New Mexico on April 28.

Microgravity and Kelly's plan a 12-hour "launch fest" from noon to midnight on Aug. 4, featuring the new Comet's Tail Ale, as well as Space20 bottled water and an energy drink called Anti-Matter. The water and energy drink were also made with ingredients that went to space in April, says Linda Strine, a Microgravity co-founder and the company's spokesperson.

"We've officially launched at last," Strine says. "We'll have Space20 and Anti-Matter available through the Internet as of July 1. We'll start rolling those products out at retail stores over the summer."

Kelly's worked with Microgravity to develop the new space beer last year, after Microgravity retrieved yeast that flew on UP's failed launch in September. Because the September rocket never reached space, that first brew was sold as "test flight" ale. But Kelly's is now preparing to brew the real McCoy, says owner Dennis Bonfantine. "We're very excited about being the first place in the world to say that space beer was born at Kelly's," Bonfantine says. "I think a lot of people will enjoy the novelty of being the first ones in the world to taste a product that has flown to space."

Microgravity is banking on that novelty. The company has invested more than $400,000 to fly its ingredients to space on three different rockets, including both the failed and successful UP launches, as well as a new launch from southern New Mexico that went up on June 20. The latest flight was shrouded in secrecy. Microgravity paid a rock-bottom price of just above $50,000 to send a new payload of beverage ingredients on a shared flight to suborbit, but the organization that managed the flight and the location of the launch remain confidential, says Microgravity President Rich Glover.

The company now has enough ingredients in hand for about 18 months of Space20 and Anti-Matter production, and about nine months of space beer, Glover says. "The latest flight allowed us to double our stock of space-flown ingredients," Glover says. "Now we have enough ingredients to keep production up."

The space water and energy drinks will retail for just $1.20 and $1.99, respectively. But even at that price, Glover says, Microgravity has enough ingredients stocked for about $10 million in sales. The company has contracted independent production, storage and distribution firms in Wisconsin, Colorado and Chicago for national sales of Space20 and Anti-Matter. For now, however, Kelly's will remain the exclusive maker and seller of space beer.

Microgravity is discussing production and distribution agreements with some large producers but, even after contracts are signed, Kelly's will continue to make and sell its own brew. "Kelly's is a microbrewery with a great tasting formula that's hard to match," Glover says.

"Other companies will end up changing the formula, but Kelly's will always be the place where the original Comet's Tail Amber Ale was born." Glover says Microgravity will remain headquartered in Albuquerque.

The company, which has an office at 3200 Carlisle NE, includes five investors. It plans to hire three employees by the fall, and up to 10 over the next year, Glover says.

krobinson-avila@bizjournals.com | 348-8302